Simplicity

It's sometimes the most simple and humble things in life which can bring an extra smile to my face in Dodoma! Take, for example, the story of my simple peg-bag.

Normally, the humble peg-bag would not be worthy of a blog post. But this is Dodoma and life is different. Things which I would never normally give a moment's thought to can become a reason to celebrate!

I had been aware for some time that my English peg-bag was slowly disintegrating before my eyes. Normally, this would not be of any concern- in the UK, I might just pick another one up during any shopping trip, either at a household store or in the Household Goods aisle of my local supermarket. However, I have never seen a peg-bag for sale in Dodoma! This fact is no surprise in a country where many people dry their clothes by draping them over bushes rather than hanging them out on washing lines. Just another cultural difference.

So, when a good friend in England asked me what I wanted for my birthday earlier this month, I requested a new peg-bag! A practical gift, easy to post and a good replacement for the bag which was starting to shred and fall apart after 4 years of hanging outdoors under the scorching African sun. The sun is so strong here, it doesn't just fade the fabric, it starts to destroy it over a long period. I know that my request was bizarre, but  I believe that practicality is the key to simple pleasures!  I was frustrated at the prospect of carting loose pegs outside with my laundry and the hassle of trying to peg up washing with constant bending to retrieve random pegs tangled up with wet clothes in the laundry basket! If I could get a new peg-bag, this frustration would cease to exist...

My Dodoma friends roared with laughter when I confessed my birthday wish! However, they soon changed their tune when I opened my birthday goodies and discovered not just any peg-bag, but a designer peg-bag!

As friends admired my smart new bag, complete with its trendy designer name of Cath Kidston from London, it transpired that several friends here use old margarine tubs to take their pegs out to their washing lines. You can't hang an old margarine tub on a washing line to conveniently locate your pegs! Now I was the one laughing, with the most practical, smartest and most trendy peg-bag in all Dodoma!! :-) All this banter gave me an idea....my much-admired bag could be an inspiration...I had some material in a drawer- it could be put to good use...

A few days later, I took my peg-bag to town and paid a visit to Philippa, a seamstress who works at her sewing machine on a pavement on one of Dodoma's main streets. She laughed when I explained to her what  wanted- it was a concept alien to her Tanzanian experience, but she was happy to oblige. And here is the result:

Now I have some gifts ready for upcoming birthdays of friends in Dodoma... no more margarine tubs for their pegs- we can all enjoy the simple gift of a practical, domestic tool- a peg-bag!! Who ever would have thought that it could bring so much joy..??!!

Loyalty

This is my highly-valued address book. It goes around the world with me in my suitcase when I travel and despite the digital age in which we live, it is still my favourite place for keeping up-to-date information on where my family and friends are living, their phone numbers and information on any new additions to their families! I am so attached to my address book. It is a special record of the special people in my life. It somehow seems much more friendly than a cold, hard computer screen or smart phone!

Although I keep this address book near to hand, some of my friends have a harder time keeping in touch with us. As we live overseas and often move house, friends have jokingly complained about the mess I make of their address books, as they frequently need to update their information on our whereabouts! Since I left home at 18 years old to attend university at Nottingham, my address has been constantly changing. In those years since my student days, I have had over 18 home addresses spanning across 5 different countries.

Our current home in Dodoma, Tanzania is the place where I have lived for the longest period of time in all these years. In November, we will have lived in our Dodoma house for 4 years- a record amount of time in one place for me! Prior to this, the second longest time in one home was for 2 and a half years in Port Alfred in South Africa. Now we are starting preparations to leave Dodoma and move on, in January, to pastures new in yet another house, in yet another country.

This prospect is both exciting and terrifying! As the preparations begin, so do the emotional highs and lows. The thought of what we will be leaving behind fills me with sadness. Sometimes sleep eludes me as I am filled with a sad sense of who and what we will have to say goodbye to. Tissues need to be kept close at hand when these unhappy thoughts crowd into my mind. On the other hand, the busyness of getting ready for something novel and different gives us something to anticipate and look forward to.

One of the comforting factors in all this change is knowing that we have friends, who despite our almost "gypsy" lifestyle, keep in touch and kindly update their address pages and email addresses so that we can stay in contact! The loyalty of friends across the world who keep in touch is a huge bonus for which I am very thankful in our life with MAF overseas!

Public Holidays

If there's one thing that Tanzania has a wealth of, it is public holidays.

Here in Tanzania, office life, schools and the general workplace grind to a halt at least 17 days of the year, as the nation recognises 17 days of public holidays. This is in contrast to the 8 days of public- or "bank"-  holidays officially acknowledged in England.

Last week, Esther, Ben, Joel and I returned from a very special and very happy visit to our family in England. We arrived in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday evening, pleased to be met by Andrew after our 3 weeks away.

 On Wednesday, we set out for the day's drive to Dodoma. I was anxious to get the children home and ready to start school again, as the children's new academic year began last Monday on August 5th. They had already missed 3 days of the new term, so I wanted them to settle back in quickly to get used to their new classes and new teachers. I already knew that Thursday would be one of the 17 Tanzanian public holidays, but fully expected Esther and Ben to attend school on Friday, to ease them gently in to their new term.

 Arriving back in Dodoma on Wednesday evening, our friends greeted us even more cheerfully than normal. I sensed a festive feel in the air. They quickly informed us that not only was Thursday a day off school for Nane Nane Day (marking the 8th day of the 8th month), but Friday would "probably" also be a day off! So we all had a 4 day weekend to look forward to, with these 2 days off school inside the very first week of the new academic year! Friday was expected to be the day of Eid, a Muslim public holiday marking the end of Ramadan, if the moon was found to be in the correct place on Thursday evening.

We waited on Thursday to hear the announcement and sure enough, Friday was declared another public holiday. We found ourselves in the happy situation of having an extended opportunity to unpack and get ready for the new routine of a new term, following the long 5-week school break. The children were delighted, Joel was pleased to have Esther and Ben around at home a little bit longer and I had extra time to get the house in order, school bags organised and do some home-baking to fill up school lunch-boxes!

 Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were happily chaotic, with welcome visits from many friends, neighbours and guests, popping by for a cuppa and natter as we caught up on each other's news. It can be lots of fun living on a compound! The children found plenty of friends and activities to busy themselves with as we settled back into our Dodoma home...

Now, a week later, we are adjusting to the rhythm of school and home life, getting into the swing of the 9-week term, which will finish in October- just in time for the next national public holiday! On October 14th, a day is set aside to celebrate the revered teacher and first president of independent Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. The following day will be another public holiday of Eid El Haji, giving us yet another 4-day weekend to look forward to. And it won't be long before the next public holiday creeps up on us- on Ben's birthday! As we celebrate Ben on December 9th, Tanzania will celebrate the anniversary of Independence and of becoming a Republic. By the time we finish celebrating Ben's birthday and organising a party for him, I may be in need of another holiday- so it's a good job the national holidays of Christmas and Boxing Day will be just around the corner!